The Vampire Diaries 8.12 "What Are You?" Review

                                                 
Matt (Zach Roerig) has a nightmare about being in the cave and watching people die in a fire with the bell ringing.  Damon (Ian Somerhalder) calls Bonnie (Kat Graham) who eventually answers and tells her about Enzo (Michael Malarkey) and how she took care of Stefan (Paul Wesley) infact Damon was more interested in Elena when he called than Stefan or any of them, cos he only asks about what she did to Stefan afterwards.  Then finds out he's now human.  So he'll get at least 80 years with him or so, as he tells Alaric (Matt Davis).  Bonnie doesn't wan Damon to come there and we guess he turned back cos he didn't get there.  She won't answer the phone for Caroline (Candice King) and she can only leave messages.  As if any of this is Caroline's fault, as Caroline rightly tells Stefan, it's all Cade's (Wole Parks) doing.

Matt tells Alaric about his visions and Dorian (Demetrius Bridges) finds the Maxwell necklace heirloom is some sort of witchy talisman.  Clue is in the journal.  So Alaric decides they should hypnotize Matt and find out why and what he's seeing.  However Damon puts a stopper in the works or scuppers their plans as usual when Cade demands the journal from him in exchange for Stefan's mortal life.  He has until midnight, don't they always.  Of course Damon doesn't get the journal, at least not right off as he gives Alaric an ultimatum, the only way he's keeping the journal is if he kills him again.  Which of course Alaric does, see Damon silly ultimatums cos obviously he's gonna choose the journal and think of the bigger picture, cos also they're not friends anymore.

Damon wakes to find Matt being hypnotized and he recalls Ethan Maxwell completing the bell as he speaks with Beatrice Bennett (Jaz Sinclair) one of the long line of Bennett witches.  As he sent her a secret message using his code gizmo.  However then Sybil (Nathalie Kelley) arrives and wants him to help them bring Cade to earth.  He hasn't heard of the Arcadia legend, but obviously they go to the cave where she shows him the artifacts and on the table is an ashen bone which she spells out can be used on Cade.  Matt sees this and tells them that but then why don't they get the significance of it then and there.  I mean even I got that as soon as she showed it to Ethan.  Seline  (Kristen Gutoskie) is also there and they sing to make him do what they want.  Obviously he's powerless and he says to Bea "I can't say" over and over, but he can write it down which he does so in code for her.

The bell is rung and the witches try to stop it but can't and are burned in the process.  Ethan and Bea go to the cave where once again Sybil tells him to bring their master to walk the earth and they will tell him how to kill him.  Which they already did but he can't do that.  Bea uses her magic to hold them behind a wall in the cave.  As Sybil forces Ethan to kill Bea, she uses her magic and shuts him in the cave room which is where they found his skeleton.   He writes down the way to kill Cade in the journal.  Matt suffers a heart attack and Damon tells them to use his blood, once again Matt being saved by vampire blood, which he isn't too big on.  But didn't really complain.  Alaric noticing the journal's gone, obviously.

Damon gives the journal to Cade and he burns it adding Stefan will live out whatever time he has left of his mortal life.  Which we think isn't very long since Stefan ran from the house and gets flashbacks to his killing all those people and is in despair.  Caroline calls him and tells him to meet her but he can't do that.  He can't face what he did in killing Enzo either and as I said with his bloodied hands he's likely to get stopped by the police and lo and behold that's exactly what happens!  He's arrested and is responsible for 32 murders, as he's shown the photos of his Vics.  Caroline compels the FBI agent (Todd James Jackson) to let him go and that he wasn't responsible, also getting the policeman (Kurt Yue) to delete his record and file. Stefan sees the estate agent, Karen's (Reece Odum) daughter, Janie (Navia Robinson) who reports her mother missing.  Stefan put her in the trunk of the car and left her to die.  He and Caroline search for her and Stefan remarks on how they can get back to the "cake dancing" sooner.  Caroline saying this isn't about the wedding.

He finds her and she stabs him, leaving Caroline to save her but she can't save Stefan cos he has the cure in his blood and is human.  He tells Caroline he knows it isn't about the wedding but right now he doesn't know what he's going to do and how he's going to deal with this, since he doesn't know about redemption.  Which is pretty much what he says to Damon too and he heads off to see Bonnie. Damon commenting on how Stefan always wanted to be human and now he is.

Caroline sends Bonnie's mother, Abby (Persia White) to see her and Bonnie hears Enzo telling her to "save me." I still say there's something in that necklace Enzo gave her with his blood or maybe I'm wrong.  Bonnie's mother thinks they should send him to the earth but she resists thinking he's somewhere out there.  Abby tells her that she opened a dark portal and brought whatever's here.  Also that there isn't an other side anymore.  Bonnie hears him call out again and faints.  As her mother sets Enzo on fire.

Matt tells Bonnie how sorry he is but he's been there and he's there for her.  Wanting to tell her about her family but that can wait for another time.  Damon tells Alaric he saved Stefan as he always would and he can call him "selfish" now.  Also telling him he knows how the journal ends.  So he should hypnotize him since Sybil always said she had a get out of jail free card as insurance as far as Cade was concerned and in the room he hands Alaric that same bone weapon!  Now what took them so long to get that connection!!  However Kai (Chris Wood) shows up and tells them he has an even better plan!  Uh-oh here we go again, another plan!  This time a witchy plan. Also wanting some bourbon.  Stefan sits outside Bonnie's house.

Suppose Bonnie's going to get her powers back too and won't be happy seeing Kai again. What's she going to say to Stefan considering he's human now and what he did wasn't him but the Ripper. However yes Cade is ultimately responsible and the bargain was struck to save the twins, but that won't help Stefan alleviate his guilt and nor should it.  However he has enough redemption to undertake and a Caroline said they will find a way for him to make it up.  Stefan is abducted by a hooded figure.  Yeah let's carry this Stefan human bit to the point of getting abducted cos it's easy for that to happen now that he's human.

Redemption an old topic for every TV character going, practically.  It's not unusual for vampires to crave redemption for what they've done even if it's a little late for it.  (See Angel).  Stefan's mortal now and needs it even more for his mortal soul, so he doesn't end up with Cade, but also to survive this human life as best he can now.  It was apparent he would come out of this Ripper mode sooner or later, but having to cope with the killings as a human is much different and not as heightened as it would have been if he had just reverted back to ordinary vampire mode.  Small mercies his guilt won't be that emotional but there will be guilt as we've seen.  Damon just seemed to be plodding along getting into everyone's bad books too but again he would always put Stefan above everyone else, it's what brothers do (not going into ye olde Winchesters here in Supernatural!)  It's just this time it was Stefan who needed saving and one way to stop him whining about Damon always coming after him and doing the right thing was to have him become human.  So what now with the cure and who's next?  Caroline showing that vampire blood doesn't work after the cure's been taken means that Damon couldn't have saved Elena after all.

Kai's back and Bonnie won't be happy seeing him again, as said. Seems like everything this final season has been Bonnie's nightmare more than finding her everlasting happiness.  Appearing to be a Bennett curse more than anything.  But she should get her powers back, she should at least deserve that much.  Bonnie hearing the bell ringing, or rather feeling the same pain as the sirens did, is that some remnant from Bea as she was there when the bell was rung initially and she was saved by Ethan from getting into the fire to help the others.  Did Bea and Ethan have a 'thang' going together?  Yet if they did, it was so easy for her to lock him in  hat room and just leave him there alone to rot for an eternity, that was cruel!  Then again the sirens were inside his head now so there wasn't much escaping that and especially since Ethan was human!

Damon's joke of Stefan being pumped with three bags of blood and he hopes he saved him some!
The ep title was said by Elena to Stefan in 1.5 You're Undead To Me. Also in this episode Stefan had Damon in the dungeon and wanted to desiccate him for at least 150 years!  The course of action Damon repeated himself for real last season!  Oh how history repeats itself.  Bonnie doesn't know what's happening to her in this ep and turns to her grandmother for help as her powers seem to be growing.  Pretty much the same here as something's happening to Bonnie but she doesn't know what or why.

Longmire 3.10 "Ashes to Ashes" Review

                                            
As Walt (Rob Taylor) speeds down the highway he comes across Branch (Bailey Chase) carrying a shotgun.  He opens the car boot and shows him Ridges' DB and as they drive to the station, Branch wants to come in but he's been relieved of his suspension.  He informs the others about Ridges and tells Ferg (Adam Bartley) to clear out Branch's desk which he reluctantly has to do.  He should've asked Vic (Katee Sackhoff) she wouldn't have hesitated and a bit unfair to ask Ferg cos they were much more closer, if that's the word, than anyone else there.  You can tell Ferg did look up to Branch.

Walt leaves to see Nighthorse (A Martinez) and as he tells them he's going to arrest him believing he gave away his location to Ridges.  However Nighthorse calls for his attorney and she plays the recording of the phonecall getting him off the hook for now, but that won't prevent Walt from pursuing him still, as he still believes he's part of a conspiracy behind Martha's murder, or at least is directly behind it.  However a bit of a funny bit when his wife's name is mentioned, Walt loses it and punches him but Vic's nose gets in the way!!  Ha.  Some would say poetic justice since she was sticking it in where it doesn't belong.  Especially when she turned in Branch, I mean how was he corrupt when he kidnapped Sam (Hank Cheyne).  Granted he shouldn't have done it, he wasn't thinking straight which isn't the same as being a bad deputy!

Cady (Cassidy Freeman) thinks there may have been racism involved on the part of Det Fales (Charles S Dutton) when he arrested Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips).  Giving Walt an idea about feathers since one was found in Branch's wound and it reminds him of Ridges' headdress, also containing crow feathers.  He then goes to Denver to see the detective, Vogel (Aaron Abrams) who investigated his wife's murder, along with Fales.  He shows Walt the case files and finds the autopsy report with the X-ray of an object in Miller Beck's throat which resembles a feather.  Apparently the autopsy didn't last long and Fales was instrumental in pursuing that angle, but then dropped it. However without evidence there's nothing they can do.  However Henry suggests they need to dig up Beck's DB and asks where it's buried.  Colorado of course.  Walt says he's coming with him and takes the jar of the 'Free Henry' funds with them, which they pay Omar (Louis Herthum) to fly them there.

As they dig, the police are notified of Henry's ankle monitor being breached and they arrive.  Walt getting into the hole and telling them he's been chasing Henry who's been digging up graves.  They bring back Beck's DB, only to find that Ridges has been taken.  Vic pulls over Nighthorse breaking his tail light in the process and wants to check his car.  Inside she finds his shopping, but sees he made a call to Sam, who's taken Ridges' DB and wants to bury him.  They find him during the burial and Walt promises he'll return the DB for a proper burial after.  Walt finding the feather in his throat.

Ferg brings by Branch's things to him and is sad to see him end up in that position. Branch examines the tapes of the CCTV surveillance he recorded at Nighthorse's development and sees Barlow's (Gerald McRaney) SUV.  He ask him about it and says he was confronting Nighthorse about Branch. Barlow lies telling him his company doesn't do business with Nighthorse.   Branch later covers his face with shaving cream and looks at himself in the mirror, he then turns up at work in a suit which Barlow thinks is overkill.

Cady meets with the ADA Sloan (Eli Goodman) and Fales showing them the evidence and how it was suppressed.  She makes a deal for the charges to be dropped otherwise they're going to the press with Fales's oversight.  Henry is finally free.  Walt takes his wife's ashes to the place where they were married and says he hoped keeping them would help her keep him in line and he finally lets go. That's not the half of it, as this story was too conveniently cleared up. Why would they kill Martha, they had to be hired and even if he didn't get evidence on Nighthorse, he was too easily a suspect. Especially with his band of attorneys, he wouldn't have to resort to murder.

Whilst out shooting skeets (clay pigeons as we call them) Branch brings up Nighthorse again.  How Barlow didn't even look angry at all and he would've gotten out of the car to confront him properly. Also finding a $50,000 connection  to Walt's wife's murder.  Barlow was angry and wanted revenge cos he wanted Branch to be sheriff, not Walt.  However he doesn't regret it or is remorseful at all and what follows was classic TV at its best.  Barlow telling him he has time to make another son and shots are heard even by Walt, as the casings lie on the ground.

It wasn't hard to predict what was coming since Barlow can't have any liabilities or loose ends lying around, his business and money are too important for him than people and even his own son.  I mean he was keeping him prisoner under lock and key in the previous episode, thereby showing he had more to fear from him than even from Walt.  So he spent years building up a fortune, it's only money and it's not like he's going to take it with him, but it was more important for him to protect his empire than his son.  Branch as we know would've done the right thing and that's what really irked Barlow. Unlike him, his son had backbone and scruples, even if he lost the plot after getting shot, who wouldn't.  But a great cliffhanger, of sorts, to leave on.

Once Upon A Time 6.4 "Strange Case" Review

                                           
This episode seemed to end Jekyll and Hyde rather quickly all done in four episodes.  What happened to all that evilness and the Evil Queen prolonging her alliance wight Hyde (Sam Witwer) for longer. Not to mention how Hyde was playing the perfunctory bad guy when he wasn't and didn't have to. Why was he 'Hyding' Jekyll's (Hank Harris) darkness in that way and why did Jekyll think that by finding a serum to kill Hyde or at least neutralize him, it wouldn't affect him in any way.

There was still so much to be explored and Regina (Lara Parilla) and Rumples (Robert Carlyle) finding out to destroy the Evil Queen means destroying (using Reggie's fave word here) it's said by her in almost every ep!  That they need to kill the original.  Obviously they can't kill Regina.  I also noticed how there's quite a bit of repetition going on her from past eps and seasons.  The story of the Saviour being weak, needing help, not wanting to be the Saviour, reports and visions of death.  It's been done before and always at the hands of some hooded figure.

Also the Belle/Rumples 'not in love.' 'love you' storyline is a bit grating right about now. and getting old fast.  Honestly not enjoying this season at all.  Now we get boring Jasmine (Karen Shenaz David) and Aladdin, sorry they were boring. With Aladdin a poor substitute for Will Scarlet and then the Red Queen too.  A t least Will had more life in him and took risks.  Aladdin took the plunge in order to save himself and severed his powers, how was that helping anyone but himself.  Isn't it the Saviour's responsibility to save everyone but themselves and make the ultimate sacrifice and being chosen for that purpose too.

Once getting in on the ITV Jekyll and Hyde series from 2014, which also had a lot more legs left in it before being cancelled.  The people with no stories is a bit pointless too.  As for no one having any secrets seems like all the men are keeping those this season, David, Hook.  As we know the men in
this show are always the weaker.  Shown by how they all harbour secrets and usually have to be rescued by someone else, usually a woman.

This also shows how Jekyll wanted Mary (not you again re the actress, Elizabeth Blackmore) who plays her!  Any Brit accent needed, let's get her.  Was so annoying in The Vampire Diaries and in Supernatural too!)  She meets Hyde at a party and is besotted with him and his passion which is lacking in Jekyll, who is a dry as the formula he can't seem to come up with.  He realizes how they spent the night together and she can't fathom being with such a boring wretch that they struggle and she lands outside the window, falling to her death.  In order to conceal this he conjures up a potion and drinks it, thus putting the blame on Hyde.  Who turns out to be a good guy after all.  SO why kill him off?  Yet he couldn't just come out and tell them this, no wonder as the warden, he kept Jekyll a prisoner as he did.  It was his justice for killing Mary.  Though they ended up calling her more a 'merry' than Mary.  Hey this wasn't the Lord of the Rings.

In the end he is killed cos Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) has to rescue Belle (Emilie de Ravin) from the sadistic Jekyll who's on his ship too.  Rumples doing nothing to lift the protection spell he placed around the ship.   As for Belle, it was Hook who came to her rescue and Rumples wasn't even grateful for it.  Hyde is right when he tells him "you can change the outside but the inside is still there."  A reference to Rumples' haircut if ever there was one!  Ha.  Actually it's also an allusion to Regina in some ways, even if she thought she destroyed her evil self and removed her from her inside, she didn't really kill her or the darkness that accompanies her and her evil.

Strange case indeed it's not just about Regina and Jekyll's alter egos but how much of this still lurks inside of them.  Why Regina couldn't rid herself of her evil, cos it's a part of her and will be.  There's no magic cure in a serum, as Hyde showed it didn't work on him, no amount of magic worked on him, like nothing they throw at the Queen works on her.  Hyde wasn't evil or sadistic and Jekyll didn't realize that with all his science and experiments, he couldn't have removed the darkness, in the same way Regina couldn't do the same.  They just churned out different versions of themselves.  Jekyll was the bad one as the Queen is here.

The Vampire Diaries 8.1 "Hello Brother" Review

                                                
The search is on for Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) as Stefan )Paul Wesley) writes in the diary for Elena about finding missing bodies.  Bonnie (Kat Graham) has flashbacks to Enzo and him teaching her how to play the guitar, whilst they read The Odyssey, specifically the parts relating to sirens and how they sing to lure men to their deaths.  All this was foreshadowing of the new big bad in their lives, but obviously the sirens aren't the ones they'll really need to worry about. Stefan tells Bonnie not to give up hope and that they will find them.  The remarked difference here between Stefan's positiveness and what he will become later on in the season.  (Okay I know I'm posting this now cos whenever we get the first ep of the show here somehow I always seem to miss the first ep!!)

Damon and Enzo take Vics to be devoured by this new monster which lurks in the bloodied water at the slaughterhouse and try to ascertain which one of them has done the worst thing.  Enzo disposes of the girl whilst Damon feeds the guy to the unknown entity in the water.  Caroline (Candice King) chances upon the dead body on the road and sends Stefan and Bonnie to investigate whereupon they find the girl tied to the front of the car and Bonnie says it's guitar string.  She also finds there was candlewax in her ears.  As Caroline finds out about the slaughterhouse at the TV station.  As well as looking after the twins.  Stefan heads out there on his own and finds Damon there cleaning up like a good, controlled boy.  He doesn't want him here and Stefan knows he's flipped his switch to cope with what he has to do.  Stefan tells him he knows deep down there's some spot in his mind which is free and isn't being being controlled.

Pity Stefan didn't arrive sooner to see Damon reading Fifty Shades of Grey, really, it should've been Fifty Shades of Red by the looks of things in the slaughterhouse.  Stefan stakes him but he gets up and takes Bonnie hostage.  Enzo tells them to leave since he's not completely taken over yet.  This time Stefan is despondent as Bonnie now tells him he has to have hope since they will get them back. As she plays guitar she recalls Enzo reading to her and realizes he's leaving her clues and wanted them to find them both.  She finds the book where it states the sirens sing and leaving behind the bones of men they devoured.  As she calls Alaric (Matt Davis) to tell him.

Alaric's interns Darius (Demetrius Bridge) and Georgie (Allison Scagliotti) have found an invisible cave and here they find treasures which haven't been eroded by the air, as well as a skeleton.  As Georgie makes a move on Alaric.  He tells her he's got his children to think of and is off the market. Well things didn't exactly work out with Caroline either.  Caroline watches the tapes of Enzo with Virginia as she tells the twins how she's a princess in a magical place and now she's escaped.  As Seline (Kristen Gutoskie) the young nanny Caroline doesn't like, makes them crustless star-shaped sandwiches, wasting food with people going hungry in the world.  As she speaks with her, the door opens and the knife disappears.  It's Virginia (Aisha Duran) who attacks Seline and Caroline saves her by giving her blood.  When she questions Virginia she finds her tongue gets cut.

Finally getting hold of Alaric who says he shouldve been here for his children and wants to move back in, with Caroline leaving to be with Stefan cos they know that's where she should be.  Damon and Enzo head out for another Vic, a painter who uses blood to paint and Damon talks of redemption. As they feed him to his prey, Damon goes to his 'happy' place with Elena where he meets her for the first time.  That's his little corner of sanity he's got for himself, however that won't last, as we know in this show nothing ever does.

Thought this was a little bit of a slow first episode to begin with as they tried to squeeze everything into it and also revealing it's sirens we're dealing with, as Enzo and Damon hear singing and the siren (Natahlie Kelley) is revealed to us, in all her bloody nakk-edness!  With Damon also telling Stefan about real hell with fire and brimstone and the devil.  There's no getting away from it and hating Stefan for turning him into what he became.  His life being over for over a 150 years.  It's the resentment that Stefan can't get over and he must be feeling the guilt which is why Bonnie tries to talk him round; to the point of where he makes the diary entry so she finds out from him about Damon and losing his humanity again. But at least season 8 got better overtime!

Ironically Damon saying: "this is the beginning of the end."  Yes for the show!  As well as, "I've seen how this ends.  Humanity can't save me from it.  Once the devil comes a-calling, you're done." Giving up so easily which really isn't like Damon, even though he did desiccate himself last season giving up on everyone.  The title is a reference to the first line uttered by Damon in the Pilot, which he says here again.  Also Stefan said it to Damon in 3.1 The Birthday.

Once Upon A Time 6.3 "The Other Shoe" Review

                                           
Or perhaps if the shoe fits...think of the wonders and possibilities out there.  With this one we get to see that Cinderella/Ashley (Jessy Schram) had a dark side too.  Did anyone call her a snitch when she revealed where her sister, Clorinda (Mckenna Melvin) was just to save herself!  Though again her story was quite frankly, boring too and Prince Thomas (Tim Phillipps) came across as this too.  What even more tedious than Charming I hear you say! So maybe they were suited to each other after all. Dare I say it Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Charming (Josh Dallas) had more, er, charm than these two.  Maybe sweeping up the cinders everyday got to her, you know like fumes to her head!  Cos she actually tells her stepmother, Lady Tremaine (Lisa Banes) that she wants to go to the ball and even has a dress for the occasion, belonging to her mother.  Quick burn that so she'll have more cinders and ash to sweep up, but alas she pulls it out.  Clorinda goes to the ball but it's to see the footman rather than marry the prince.  Here's a twist on the Disney version.  Emma (Jennifer Morrison) et al have to find Ashley after she vanishes thinking she's out to get revenge on Clorinda, leaving the Prince holding the baby this time, instead of the glass slipper.  Which was smashed to pieces by her stepmother and promptly reblown by the Prince's glass workers.  Leaving Emma to follow her tennis shoe instead.

Reggie (Lana Parilla) comes up with a plan to get to Hyde (Sam Witwer) for info through his stomach which backfires when she finds her evil other half has already beaten her to this and he doesn't want another lasagna!  Even if it's her recipe.  They still need Jekyll (Hank Harris) to find a serum for them to use on Hyde and he joins forces with none other than Dr Frankenstein/Dr Whale (David Anders) and his lab.  Snow and her comment on getting these two at school!  ha.  Not quite teaching material.  Emma's visions seem to have desisted and she speaks with Archie (Raphael Sbarge) about her fears.  Doubt he'll be any good at dispensing any help since he later gets taken by the Queen and Zelena (Rebecca Mader) makes him look after Robin.  Cos she's not babysitting him either.  Also leading to the Queen imitating him later and revealing Emma's secret about her tremours and future, disguised as him.

Charming begins to piece together his father's death and thinks it was murder by cart, rather than him leaving them and having an accident.  Snow wants him to stop chasing this and he agrees to burn the note and listen to her, only he keeps it.  See another secret.  Ashley reveals she's not going to kill her sister but wants forgiveness.  You see she had a key which belonged to her mother, which led to a portal to another land.  Exactly what Belle needed.  As Emma finds her hiding out in the barn, their mother isn't far behind and wants to end the footman's life, in a scene reminiscent of Regina and her mother along with the stablehand, Daniel.  But she's saved by Emma leaving their stepmother to do some community service!  ha.  Clorinda not being sorry for wanting to spite her mother and run off with a lowly footman.  Her mother saying she didn't toil over her just to get this outcome, again just like Regina's mother.

Rumple's (Robert Carlyle) uses Charming to take a gift to her in exchange for information on his father and maybe this might have something to do with the cloaked figure who kills Emma, or maybe not.  Either way he sends a message for Belle (Emilie de Ravin) which involves fairies and stars.  Or was she meant to listen to it so that his son hears it too.  Who knows with these two.  If it couldn't get any worse with this rallying of love meets unrequited love or deuce!  And the devil take this storyline please!  Seemed a bit of a pointless episode, wasn't really interested in Cinderella as it was just a rehash of sorts of Regina and her mother.

The Vampire Diaries 8.11 "You Made A Choice To Be Good" Review

                                           
Damon (Ian Somerhalder) tells Stefan (Paul Wesley) how he will get him back and he's on his redemption bit after getting his humanity back and is enjoying it.  Whereas Stefan just wants to get him back on his killing spree arrangement.  He's in such a good mood that he's going to make pancakes, cos Stefan needs to be left alone doesn't he otherwise nothing will work!  Cade (Wole Parks) comes to the Mystic Grill and stands behind Bonnie (Kat Graham) where he talks of the numbers of coffees available and then when she leaves he talks of how the worker is having an affair with the employer's wife and where they go for lunch on certain days. Which we later see Matt (Zach Roerig) and Caroline (Candice King) speak of since Matt had to break up the fight.  As Caroline and Matt speak at the Mystic Falls Founder's Day Time Capsule unearthing.  Matt being a little nervous as he's the speaker.  She finds the capsule she, Elena and Bonnie buried when they were 11.

What's the betting Matt's heirloom necklace is a key to beating Cade aka Arcadius!  Otherwise there was no point in Darius (Demetrius Bridges) giving it to him cos it'd just be an ordinary necklace and clearly it's not since everything else is somehow all connected.  I liked how Caroline told Matt everything bad in this town was already going on before all the darkness Matt makes reference to happening now.  It's just they were children and the adults didn't want them to know.  Of course she's right and there's no amount of thinking otherwise that'll change that.  Just look at Matt and his own family.  Matt refers to her darkness.  Darius decides he doesn't want to be immortal after what he's seen and wants to live a full life, or as far as he can in this place.  He heads back to research some more on the code cypher that Matt found in the capsule.  Again that'll help them with Cade as he finds something in a different language he hasn't come across.  Naturally Alaric would tell him about vampires and everything else supernatural going on cos someone had to take his place.  Matt's credited for the past two eps but hasn't appeared.

Darius says he thought his family was cursed, it's what the family thought and also how they beat it, until they had a fire and his father and sister died.  Now he just wants to get on with it as Caroline offers him an alternative, becoming a vampire by drinking her blood if the worst comes to it.  After offering the same to Matt before, but he doesn't want that either.  Matt'd prefer to go up in flames with Mystic Falls than survive.  There must be some humans and humanity left in a town overrun with all sorts of spooky elements.  I liked the contrast here between the two humans, Matt and Darius who choose to remain as they are and would rather die than become unnatural beings.  As opposed to Damon who wants the cure when Elena awakens and also Bonnie wanting Enzo (Michael Malarkey) to become human too.

Of course the other killer in this ep (sorry no pun) was how they killed off Enzo.  Now the bucket list: foreshadowing if ever there was any.  Uh-oh do you think Bonnie set off that chain of events by wanting him to do everything humans would do whilst he's still immortal.  Just incase...well the inevitable did happen and she's going to have a hard time dealing with Stefan being human now and doing what he did.  More importantly Stefan will also have an even harder time now dealing with everything cos it'll be too painful for him.  Just like it was for Damon when Sybil gave him back his humanity.  Enzo's bucket list consisting of drag racing, with the cliched "fast cars and beautiful women."  Or as I like to say fast cars and even faster women!  Ha.  And sky diving, seems he was into the extreme stuff so why didn't he do all that before.  But he had a blast in that racing car, who wouldn't?!  Or poignantly carrying Bonnie over the threshold cos he's never going to do that.  SO there was their trip to Paris which was all they ever had together after everything they went through.

Then Bonnie telling Damon she'll go ahead and get the cure cos at least people will be saved at the expense of her own happiness once again, how her words rang out to be true! (Okay no pun again in reference to the bell) so what good is that pesky bell now that they were hiding it still, it already kinda served its purpose with Cade making an entrance into the world.

Also can't say Stefan getting the cure from Bonnie was a shock, saw that coming as soon as he was headed to the house.  Cos he definitely didn't want to be human.
The other kicker here was how Bonnie was on the phone to Damon when he was telling her he needs the cure for Cade so that he becomes mortal and they can kill him, cos he can't die by fire or removing heart.  It's a wonder he has a heart!  But Enzo could hear her with his heightened sense of hearing.  They were taking an awfully long time to get the blood from Elena, yeah let's mess around as they've got all the time in the world.

Ah Stefan you have a lot to answer for.  Compelling the estate agent (Reece Odum) to buy the house back in her name and inviting him in.  Why didn't he get the house in his name instead, it's not like they don't know where he was headed.  Then Bonnie bringing Elena here without telling anyone didn't help.  It was like sending Damon on a wild goose chase and wasting time.  Cade reading her thoughts was too easy even if he does have psychic abilities.  Wouldn't she have bought the house in a different name and just leaving the coffin there in an empty house where anyone could've come in freely.

The conversation with Damon and Stefan in the car was also an interesting one, Stefan just wants to get rid of Damon for good so he doesn't have to help him or rely on him anymore, which he says he'll do.  But how much does Damon really rely on him and anyway they're brothers, it's what they do and have always done.  Also Stefan was the one who brought him into this life by turning him, so maybe he was the one who couldn't live without Damon and his interfering all along.  Thinking that Elena is the one who weakens Damon and gets between them.  Was there a hint of jealousy there in Stefan. He saw her first, loved her first and lost her first and to Damon of all people.
There was a bit of Alfred Hitchock's Strangers on a Train going on here with Stefan opting for Damon to kill Caroline or the hundred people cos as Cade reveals to Damon his choice was to kill Elena and not the hundred souls.  Which Damon opted for instead of Caroline and he can't go back and change his mind now.  Obviously Cade kept that quiet and should've known he couldn't bargain with the devil.

Anyway is Stefan meant to age prematurely now and die sooner rather than later, of course can't Damon or Caroline just turn him again and well probably he and Caroline will get their happy ending.  Again Damon's plans falling to pieces as always on this show, seems Caroline's plan to make Cade human didn't work out either but they weren't really sure it would.  Damon killed Tyler, Stefan killed Enzo, at least there's no ending in sight as to what the Salvatore brothers can do.  Really maybe I'm the only one but I don't want Damon and Elena to get their happy ending cos Damon's too good for her. Okay I said it!  Also Bonnie will get her powers back and what will she do with Enzo's blood?

The title is a reference to Elena's line to Stefan from 1.20  Blood Brothers and amazingly it resonates here with perfection since he is now good as a human again and ironically it wasn't by his own choice and he certainly didn't want to be good.  He wanted to remain a Ripper but not have Damon in his way or life. Though removing Enzo's heart from behind was also a cowardly act on his part.  In this season 1 ep Alaric also asks Damon if they always have to be invited in, being a bit of an iffy question where there aren't private houses, however both Enzo and Stefan here showed again that they do.  Elena and Damon also speak of having to lock up Stefan so he didn't go around 'chewing up' the people!  Again ironically it's exactly what he does as the Ripper.

Another line from Blood Brothers which has connotations on the conversation Damon and Stefan have is where Damon says to Stefan: "you brood too much.  Everything on the planet's not your fault. My actions what I do, it's not your fault, I own them.  They belong to me.  You're not allowed to feel my guilt."  There are some things on the Vampire Diaries planet which are their fault!

This season is much better than last one I mean that was dire, leaping back and forth three years, days, whatever!  At least the final ever season will go out with a bang!  Maybe no one should get their happy ending!! Hey even more poignant if they had Michael's Scars song in this ep, but alas that's what Bonnie et all will be left with !

Longmire 3.9 "Counting Coup" Review

                                             
Walt (Robert Taylor) questions Travis (Derek Phillips) along with Vic (Katee Sackhoff) since they haven't been able to get hold of Branch (Bailey Chase) on his phone. Travis tells them he's afraid of Branch and there's no telling what he might do, especially since he threatened him after he found out he told Vic everything about kidnapping Sam (Hank Cheyne).  Branch gets a call from David Ridges (David Midthunder) telling him to leave the past alone, the ghosts and there's no record of it again on his phone.  Branch gets to the bridge and Ridges's tells him he will kill Branch next time and how his soul is his.  His jumps off the bridge, where Branch shoots at him several times and Ridges still gets the last laugh by taunting him several times that he managed to get away.

Walt and Vic speak with Sam and ask why Branch kidnapped him.  He burns sage and tells them his office needs some cleansing.  Sam thinks Walt is protecting Branch and Walt assures him Branch will face the consequences of his actions.  Sam says that Branch no longer has a soul, echoing the sentiments of Ridges's who told him he owns his soul and he won't have any piece of mind anymore. Ferg (Adam Bartley) is angry that no one's told him what's happening over the past and he still doesn't know.  Saying he's done so much for Walt and he's always in the dark.  He doesn't even get his own desk, which Walt remedies now by throwing off Branch's things and name plate and puts Ferg's there instead.  Frankly it wasn't a good time to confront Walt, cos he still doesn't know what's happening.

Cady (Cassidy Freeman) finds out the court date has been moved up to two weeks.  She will try for a continuance.  Cameron (Nick Gehlfuss) looks at the file the prosecution has sent over and says it's a bit thin.  Ruby (Louanne Stephens) gives Walt an envelope from Sean which contains divorce papers for Vic, so deliver them yourself, what a loser he really was!  But then Vic has a knack for finding those.  Branch rocks in and doesn't make any sense about the bridge incident and Vic doesn't help when she mentions how crazy Branch is acting.  He grabs her by the neck and pushes her towards the window.  Walt breaks it up and locks Branch in the cell.  Branch tells her he doesn't harbour any ill will and thinks Ferg should follow up on his lead at the bridge.  However Vic says she'll go cos she doesn't want to stay here with him.  Barlow (Gerald McRaney) arrives and demands that Ferg let Branch go.  He refuses but then he threatens Ferg's father.

Walt arrives to find Branch gone and Ferg tells him about Barlow's threats.  Walt drives to the bridge and Vic finds a phone tucked into the seat which belongs to Ridges.  She then finds Branch's number was dialled.  Branch is told by Barlow that he''ll be there for him and he then locks him into his room, after showing him the business cards he had made up for him, hoping he'd join him.  Walt and Vic turn up to rarest Nighthorse (A Martinez) and when he says Ridges isn't alive, he tells him he made 17 calls to Nighthorse.  In the cell Nighthorse wants a deal and agrees to arrange a meeting with him next time he calls.  In return he wants all charges dropped.  Also saying Ridges told him he was going to kill Branch, but he advised against it.  He doesn't listen to him anymore.

Walt hands Vic the appears and admits he didn't say what he should've the other day.  That he values her as a worker and doesn't want her to resign.  She signs the papers.  Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) calls Malachi (Graham Greene) and tells him if he doesn't tell him about Darius's whereabouts when Walt's wife was killed, he's going to set the bar on fire.  If he tells him then he can have the deed. Malachi thinks he's bluffing and Henry throws the lighter onto the fuel.  Walt arrives as the fire is put out and Henry tells him he set it on fire.  Darius was in Connecticut and this is confirmed by Cady. Barlow finds Branch gone as the alarm sounds and finds a gun missing.  Nighthorse calls Walt telling him where Ridges is and as Walt drives there, he finds that someone had already warned him as he drives off in his truck.  Then Ridges appears dressed as a White Warrior.  Branch threatens Travis but says he won't shoot him, he wants his truck and also takes the radio, listening to Walt on there as he tells Vic he knows where Ridges is.

As Ridges rides towards Walt and knocks him down several times with his spear, he finally goes for Walt and Walt stabs him with his knife.  Finally he gets the man and finding that Branch was right after all and wasn't hallucinating.  Yet he doesn't get any credit for this, not that he wanted it, but seems everyone just deserted Branch in the end.  Nighthorse telling them that Ridges actually was playing counting coup, he wanted to get close enough to touch him.  He shot Branch instead.  But it had to be Walt who brought down Ridges and had been gunning for him for a long time (no pun) but it was the knife that got him in the end.

A long series with so much going on though.  At least the stories will be wrapped up even if not to our satisfaction, still leaving open some loose ends for season 4.  Clearly Barlow has an agenda and doesn't even appear to want Branch working with him, especially since he locks him in his room like a little child.  Where he could've done some harm to himself if he wanted to and how was that looking out for his son.  He was more disappointed in him than anything else and of course this was a result of the election and losing, then going back to work for Walt!  His nemesis.  And there goes Henry's hopes of getting the murder charges dropped when eh finds out it wasn't Darius.

Paranormal Lockdown 2.7 "Statler City Hotel" Review

Buffalo's haunted Statler City Hotel, boasting 18 floors and approx 950,000 square feet, also heralds more than just lavish decor and exquisite chandeliers.  It has a bleak history of mob involvement and deaths, as well as the suicide of Mary.  Nick and Katrina investigated the downstairs Turkish baths with the pool, the Terrace, the Nightclub.  To me that meat locker was always on the cards and one place that warranted investigation from the name itself, but it was more than just a 'meat' locker, if you catch my drift.  Most of them always are, especially in a place with so much history of any sort, not just the bad stuff.

The sound from the drum barrel was an immediate clue as to being led there and not only cos of the EVP captured by paranormal investigator, Dan.  But also since it kept coming up in their own EVPs through the Geobox and the spirit being "stuck" there.  Clearly there was enough evidence of wrongdoing and crimes unearthed there by them, that they even had to refrain from mentioning the names in the EVPs they captured, for legal reasons.  A shame since the criminals were already convicted.  A barrel murder was used by the American mafiosi as early as the 1870's and the earliest were found to have taken place in 1875 and 1900 in New York.  Where the Vic was shot, stabbed or otherwise killed and 'stuffed' into a barrel.  Left on a street corner or shipped somewhere which didn't exist.  Again that leads me to the "man on the edge of the street" voice coming through.  Okay not adding anything else to this without having heard any of the EVP names; cos that'll just turn out to be hearsay on my part.

Nick saying he has to "go down there and face that Turkish bath" sounded so torturous! Ha.  But it was with that dirt and dust, not just with what was lurking!  That ITC device looks like it has yellow hands on the screen waiting to grab onto a communication/capture!

That was the sound of a chair being dragged in The Terrace dining room when they were in the pool, which is what I said it was as soon as I heard it.  Also given some validation of a chair being moved when Nick caught it in the night on the 360 degree camera, no doubt the spirit wasn't pleased with Katrina messing up their well ordered surroundings.  That camera's amazing though!
At 31.05 sounds like "Lucas."
At 31.13: "...You actually don't hear that I was swallowed by the drum."  And says it again after Katrina gets that pain in her head.   (Does sound like 'swallowed' to me.)

(Hint: Lip reading is a good thing to do! Katrina!)
Some strange stuff coming through like, "shall I take him off that meeting list" [A meeting being more likely in reference to a Mob meeting.]
Nick asking if he died down here and replies, "yeah man."
Then the boss line.
As well as, "they going to believe us now."

As for "the man on the edge of the street" voice.  The certain family in New York had a title of 'front boss' so attention would be diverted from the main man in charge and later this was revived as "street boss."  Wondering if this had anything to do with the man on the edge of the street coming through, but the revival of this term was rather recent in 1992.  (Associated with a certain crime family.)

I did read about how some sceptical article in a paper stated how Nick and Katrina managed to stir up a murder mystery, but until you actually know everything they uncovered, you can't doubt what they uncovered and secondly that area and the hotel does have a history and a reputation!  Nothing is set in stone one way or another!

There's plenty I'd like to write for this ep, re the names, but other things too but can't cos it's too public a forum, naturally and there's some questions I'd like to ask Katrina and Nick as well, regarding a few issues!  Darn it.  However this remains one of the best investigations to date, in season 2, if only more was able to be shown.  But agreeing with Nick, they need to go back again soon.  The place is too big and active to miss up another opportunity like this.

The Vampire Diaries 8.10 "Nostalgia's A Bitch" Review

                                                
Bonnie (Kat Graham) arrives with something important she wants to speak with Caroline (Candice King) about and needs her advice regarding Enzo,even if she has to make her breakfast in bed.  Only they don't get to talk since they find Damon (Ian Somerhalder) in the chair, out of it, after Sybil (Nathalie Kelley) got her hands on him.  As well as finding Sybil in the dungeon.  She says she can help him but wants the bell in return.  Obviously she was the one who gave him back his humanity and made him remember the hell he's in, as Bonnie says it's painful for him.  She lets Bonnie and Caroline into his head but through the backdoor, with Bonnie remarking how the inside of his head is the same as the outside of his head.  They meet with Vicky (Kayla Ewell) Matt's (Zach Roerig) sister who's still alive, but nobody has heard of Damon Salvatore.  Even the man he rescued from the Civil War, Henry (Evan Gamble) only knows him cos of that but tells them that Damon is dead and died in the Civil War, which is why no one knows him.  Apparently Damon didn't see himself as a vampire and no one else did either, so they don't know him.

Caroline sees her mother, sheriff Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) and has to chat with her telling her how she'd forgotten how beautiful she is, as Bonnie sets out to chat with Vicky, but finds Vicky's plaster was actually covering a hickey.  Caroline tells her she's looking for Damon and he's the one who attacked the people, not the animals, but she doesn't know him.  Even when they became good friends and is only helping find him cos he was the only one who understood what she went through after she died.  Her mother tortures her with the light and Caroline tries to convince her of this, as she finally leaves her alone.  She comes back out and also needs Matt to bring the bell back.  As Matt meets with his father (Joel Gretsche) at Vicky's grave, he says he prefers not to remember her cos he failed her.

However Seline (Kristen Gutoskie) also turns up as does Stefan (Paul Wesley) and he tells Caroline he's here to get married.  Then laughs it off.  He tells them Damon needs forgiveness but obviously it's Stefan's forgiveness he needs.  Seline tells Stefan she can can make a better deal for him, if the bell is struck, not only will the sirens be destroyed, but also every soul in Mystic Falls will be destroyed too and that's more souls for Cade (Wole Parks). Which Stefan is happy to make a bargain over since he also needs Damon back so they can get on with their soul collecting.  He compels Matt by removing his vervain bracelet and tells him he must strike the bell twelve times before 9, otherwise he needs to find a way to forgive Damon.  Which he won't do.  So Matt wants his father to kill him, cos either way they're all dead.

Bonnie goes home to Gramps (Jasmine Guy) and asks her for a locator spell for Damon, who's a vampire and tells her about Enzo since he's a vampire too and she's so happy right now and wants to return to it.  She has Damon's letter cos she knows Damon wants her to find him and forgive him. Damon's going to be the only one who will read that letter to her.  She ends up at the crypt where she finds Tyler (Michael Trevino).  Who convinces her Damon's a monster and she can't help him. However she works out what that place means and what she must do.  When she returns she says they need Stefan back here, which was obvious.

So Damon finally meets with Stefan in his head, just as we thought he was going to have a cushy ep where he didn't get any lines, ha; and tells him he figured out who the vampire is in his head, it's not him, but Stefan and it's not he who needs forgiveness but Stefan needs Damon to forgive him for turning him.  He's done that and he forgives him several times over.  As Matt and his father fight each other as he tries to stop Matt from ringing the bell, which he does.  Matt tells him to kill him.  Damon arrives in time and stops him, striking his head against the bell, hoping that one doesn't count.  Peter takes the bell away and Damon apologizes for Vicky.  Which he should've done years ago.  Matt doesn't forgive him and he knows he's got his humanity back, but Damon's been friends with the sheriffs and as Matt is going to become sheriff of Mystic Falls; who knows.  Of course Sybil blabbed to Caroline about Bonnie wanting to use the cure for Enzo, but they didn't even get to talk about that.  She just seemed to be driving a rift between them anyway.  Which was like saying she's not her bestie after all.

Damon hopes he's not interrupting something reflective for Bonnie.
Damon reads the letter to Bonnie from his head:
"Dear Bonnie
I am a coward.  I should be saying this to your face, not writing this letter but I know if I do, you're gonna talk me out of running away from all my problems.  You're gonna make me face a future without Elena; then you're gonna help make me the best man that I could possibly be.  The same way she did and I'm absolutely terrified of failing you both.  So I'm leaving because I'd rather let you down once than let you down for the rest of your life.  And I hope it's the happiest life because you Bonnie Bennett are an amazing woman.  A mediocre crossword puzzle player and my best friend. With great love and respect,
Damon."
Ahh Hugz!  He's sorry he left and it won't happen again.

Then Caroline's promise to Stefan cos it was exactly that, was even if it takes Damon to get Stefan's humanity back, or even if he doesn't, they're go get it back.  Then they will either be friends and get married or they won't, but she's not giving up on him.

I think this by far was one of the best eps this season, as it reinforced what the show was mostly about.  Not just vampires, but two brothers and their friends.  How Damon learned life lessons and how he's changed so much over the years.  When their mission now remains to rescue Stefan and rid the world of Cade.  Who appears for a while on the earth again since the bell was struck eleven times. As Sybil and Seline try to maintain a truce following in the footsteps of Damon and Stefan, they fail miserably and still blame one another for what happened to them.  Cade appears and sets them alight which was such a joy to watch!  Finally the sirens are gone!

Damon's birthday is 18 June 1839.  Damon says the title to Anna in 1.19 Miss Mystic Falls.

Paranormal Lockdown 2.6 "Bellaire House" Review

                                                    
Bellaire House stuck a chord with me as being part of the same or similar exponent or paranormal activity as that experienced in 1.6 Kreischer Mansion of Paranormal Lockdown.  The one where Edward Kreischer's brother Charles conducted the seance after Edward committed suicide.  I mean even here they kept getting the name 'Ed' and Edwin was the owner of Bellaire who conducted the seance after losing his sister: a twin.  Of course opening up untold doorways and portals into the dark and allowing anything negative and evil to come through.

As with Kreischer Mansion, there were rooms and the attic that they were drawn too, as Kristin Lee, the current owner of Bellaire and her children suffered bad paranormal experiences here.  There was a negative presence in wanting Nick back, Kristin's son and all the EVPs such as 'the blood of the child, precious, the child flies', all caught by Steve and Nick in the attic.  As soon as I saw that attic and those windows outside, had an ominous feeling about it, as I tweeted.  Hate when I feel such things and know that happens quite a bit to me over the years.  Well quite a lot.  That's also where Nick said he felt the most uncomfortable.  Yet more uncanny synchronized moments.

See Katrina feeling the badness from the room before even walking into it.  Nick's room.  And the noise on the attic stairs.  When Katrina asks who lives in the attic, sure you can hear a child's voice say, "me."  It's said twice.  At 13.16 "secret" is heard when Katrina asks if there's something not so nice here?
Nick was using Realtime Paranormal Communication to get EVPs with the multiple spirit voices.
Who's Patrick?? as this comes through after, "leave" and then sounds like: "stay in my room..."

The experiment conducted by them with Steve Huff's Wonderbox and George Brown was amazing since they were basically getting the same results in all the different rooms with "sleep, precious, send the child."  At 22.52 "sit next to him" is heard, when "dead" comes through for Nick.  30.46 "enter" is heard.  Followed by "she'll hear us." At the part with the dresser door, was all definitely weird.

Sounded like "puussh" in the attic and also plenty of manipulation going on here with the "jump, Nick, jump" like they were playing a dangerous game, especially after Kristin returns and tells them they had to put locks there since her son ended up at the window and wanted him to come onto the roof.  Destructive, evil spirits here playing their own paranormal games.
Other voices:
"do you think he can see us"
"push."
"slip."

In a weird turn of events I was going to say Nick and Katrina dressing like twins in their leather jackets, but then thought that sounded a little spooky, given the actual twins in the house.

Eliza actually died on the dining room floor, also explaining why Ed conducted the seance there, but why communicate with a child, instead of leaving her to rest in peace.
I had a weird dream with a little girl in period dress, saying she knew there was a baby, her mother didn't want her to know but she knew anyway and all in a confined space, so could've been an attic or crawl space.

Kristin has written two books about her experiences at the house, with the second one out in October 2016.  Bellaire House was also the subject of a My Ghost Story episode.

https://www.amazon.com/1699-Belmont-Street-Portal-Hell-ebook/dp/B00B5WHEYC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1452271880&sr=8-4&keywords=portal+to+hell